STATEHOUSE (Jan. 25, 2022) – The Indiana House recently advanced legislation supported by State Reps. Donna Schaibley (R-Carmel) and Jerry Torr (R-Carmel) to protect young human trafficking victims and strengthen criminal penalties against perpetrators.
HB 1081, which now heads to the Senate for consideration, would allow young victims to provide recorded video statements instead of physically testifying in a courtroom where they are forced to relive past trauma. Currently, Indiana law requires Hoosiers 15 years old or older at the time of a trial to testify in court. This legislation would allow survivors 14 years old or younger at the time of their assault to submit a video statement for court procedures if they are younger than 18 at the time of the trial.
"The last thing we want to do is make young victims of this horrific crime relive their trauma," said Schaibley, vice chair of the House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code. "This legislation will further protect minors and make sure they feel safe to testify against perpetrators."
In addition, this bill would close a legal loophole for individuals who pay a victim directly for sex acts. Currently, individuals who offer to or pay for sex acts can only be prosecuted with a Level 5 felony if they pay the trafficker directly. According to law enforcement, it is difficult to prosecute suspects as the majority of transactions occur between the perpetrator and the victim.
The legislation would also increase sentencing for perpetrators whose victims are under the age of 18 and rules out victim consent or belief that a victim was at least 18 years old as a legal defense.
"Human trafficking is a concern in every state, and Indiana is no different," said Torr, chair of the House Judiciary Committee. "Our hope is to make victims feel as safe as possible as they seek justice for the crimes committed against them while also giving prosecutors more tools to put criminals behind bars."
In Indiana, there were 140 human trafficking cases reported in 2020, up from 95 in 2017, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
If someone is suspected to be a victim of human trafficking, it should be reported immediately to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. For more information, visit humantraffickinghotline.org.
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State Rep. Donna Schaibley (R-Carmel) represents House District 24,
which includes portions of Boone and Hamilton counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
State Rep. Jerry Torr (R-Carmel) represents House District 39,
which includes portions of Hamilton County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
